Fairfax County Struggles Between Urban And Suburban Development, WAMU, May 7, 2013

Although focused on southern Fairfax County, this article and broadcast by Michael Pope pretty much hits the nail on the head:  The County is having trouble managing the change from a suburban to an urban focus in key areas of the County (including the Dulles Corridor & Reston).  From our perspective, the County has not come yet to fully appreciate the difference in these two environments and the extent of the infrastructure investment that the process of moving from one to the other requires, not to mention operating in both environments.  This is especially true of transportation (roads, transit, and TDM), balancing jobs and housing, providing sufficient open space in urban areas, and several other dimensions of the urbanizing process, including Tysons.

There is no doubt that managing two environments simultaneously is challenging, but it is not clear that either the Board of Supervisors or the County staff full appreciate the complexity and change in thinking and funding (and taxing) that is required.  What we see now is an attempt to urbanize some parts of the County while using suburban development thinking, an almost certain path to failure on both counts.

William F. Yurasko (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wfyurasko/3711698304/)

In Virginia, one part of Fairfax County is experiencing a personality crisis.

This summer, a new Costco will open in southeast Fairfax County along the Richmond Highway corridor. The new big-box retailer will have a giant parking lot and fit the same pattern as suburban and exurban development motorists see as they navigate Loudoun County. At the same time, about a mile away, a new mixed-use urban development called Beacon of Groveton is opening its doors—a development similar to something people might see in Ballston or Rosslyn.

Edythe Frankel Kelleher, the executive director of the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, says the suburban model is still an important part of Fairfax County. "Those folks still need to get in their cars and drive places. And when they get in their cars, they want to go to a Costco. They want to have that big, one-stop shopping."

This week, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation will select a consultant to conduct a long awaited study of the corridor one that will make an important determination about the preferred mode of transportation along Route One. Officials will be left to decide if it should be bus-rapid transit, light rail or Metro. . . .

Click here for the rest of this broadcast, including the audiotape.

Draft Agenda: RCA Board of Directors Meeting, Monday, May 20, 2013

DRAFT Agenda

RCA Board of Directors Meeting

May 20, 2013, 7:30 PM

Reston Community Center--Hunters Woods

Item	Time	Topic	Disposition	Presenters
1	7:30 PM	Adopt  Agenda	Action	Colin Mills, RCA Board
2	7:35 PM	Approve April Meeting Minutes	Action	Diane Lewis
3	7:40 PM	Treasurer’s Report	Action	Diane Lewis
4	7:45 PM	Bus Report	Discussion	Rob Bonham
5	7:55 PM	Technology: Website, RCA Email Addresses, Facebook Presence	Discussion	Gary Walker
6	8:05 PM	RCA Finances – Plan Moving Forward	Discussion	John Hanley, Sridhar Ganesan
7	8:15 PM	Official RCA Communications	Discussion	Gary Lee Thomas
8	8:30 PM	RCC Facility Paper	Discussion, Action	Terry Maynard, RCA Board
9	9:15 PM	Community Calendar	Discussion	Gary Lee Thomas
10	9:20 PM	Wiehle Station Access – Hudgins Response	Discussion	Dick Rogers
11	9:25 PM	Other Business	Discussion	RCA Board
12	9:30 PM	Location and Time of Next Meeting; Adjourn	Action	RCA Board

DRAFT RCA White Paper: "The Reston Recreation Center Initiative: Unanswered Questions on Need, Facilities, Location, Financing, and Decision Making"

Below is the final draft text of a white paper to be considered for approval by the RCA Board of Directors at its regular monthly meeting on May 20, 2013, at 7:30PM, at the RCC-Hunters Woods facility.  It is on the agenda for discussion at 8:30PM.  The paper looks at a number of open issues concerning the RCC proposal to build a recreation center at Baron Cameron Park financed by Reston special tax district funds.  It proposes the creation of a joint RCC, RA, and RCA panel to address the issues before proceeding with the RCC initiative. 

   The Reston Recreation Center Proposal--Final Draft by Terry Maynard

Residents Discuss Baron Cameron Priorities, Reston Connection, May 14, 2013

By Alex McVeigh

The Fairfax County Park Authority has started the master planning process for Baron Cameron Park, a 60-acre park at the northwest corner of the intersection of Wiehle Avenue and Baron Cameron Avenue.

The park currently features nine rectangular fields, one lighted diamond field, a picnic area, playground, 32 community garden plots and an off-leash dog area. It also includes 430 parking spaces, many of which are used as a park and ride for commuters. . .

“This park is not a Reston park. It’s a district park that serves people in the communities of Reston, Herndon, Vienna, Great Falls and other surrounding areas,” said Bill Bouie, Park Authority board chair and a member of the RCC’s governing board. “The field conditions there are fair, and I’m being nice." . . 

At the heart of the current master plan revision is the Reston Community Center’s interest in adding an indoor recreation facility. The RCC Board of Governors recently sent a letter of interest to the Park Authority about a possible partnership for a facility that would provide aquatic, gymnasium and other fitness facilities. . . 

Click here for the rest of this article.  

Virtually all the public comments that evening regarding the proposed Baron Cameron Park master plan concerned whether to build a recreation center at the park.  Most of those who spoke--largely residents of nearby neighborhoods--were opposed to placing the recreation center at the park for a variety of reasons.  Included in the reasons were concerns about preserving the dog park (which FCPA indicates it intends to do anyway), the loss of well-used playing fields, the use of Reston tax dollars to fund a County district park, intractable traffic congestion issues recreation center would cause, etc.  Other suggestions regarding the park focused on improving the poor condition of the fields and increasing parking to prevent spillover into area neighborhoods.

Fairfax County applies for funding for bikeshare feasibility study, FABB Blog, May 16, 2013

Fairfax County recently applied for funding of a bikesharing feasibility study through the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation/Land Use Connections (TLC) Technical Assistance Program. "The TLC Technical Assistance Program provides focused consultant assistance to local jurisdictions working on creative, forward-thinking and sustainable plans and projects."

While several areas in the county could support bike sharing, the study will focus on the Reston area. Reston has a network of recreational trails, concentrated mixed-use development at the Reston Town Center, Village Centers located within easy biking distance of most residents, and the soon-to-be-completed Wiehle Ave Metro station. Much more needs to be done to make Reston truly bike-friendly but we think bike sharing could work there.

Click here for the rest of this post.  

  

FCEDA sort of acknowledges shift to smaller office space per worker, Planning staff still doesn'f

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) released its year-end 2012 commercial real estate report yesterday (FINALLY!) and, lo and behold, it says:

One trend among office users is to consolidate operations closer to where employees live to reduce travel time and maximize productivity. Many companies’ emphasis is toward more cubicles or an open floor plan. In certain industry sectors, the focus is on hoteling. . . .

Click here for the full FCEDA semi-annual report.  

This is the first time any official Fairfax County body has hinted at acknowledging that office space per worker is getting smaller, a point we made in a letter to Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova a couple of weeks.  The implication is that we will need much less office space growth to achieve the jobs:housing balance we are seeking in Reston's station areas--which are heavily weighted toward office space (a J:HH ratio of 14:1).

RCA first highlighted the problem in its comments on the first draft of the Reston areawide plan language in early March.  Still, DPZ has not lowered the space per office worker number from 300GSF to a more appropriate value in the 100-200GSF range. 

For the record, the vacancy rate in County office properties was higher at the end of 2012 than 2011.  Here's what the report says:

The overall and direct office vacancy rates rose for the third straight reporting period, closing the yearat 16.7 percent and 14.4 percent, respectively. At yearend 2011, the overall rate was 15.6 percent, andthe direct rate was 13.7 percent. Both available relet and sublet inventories have increased over the past three reporting periods.

In Reston, the overall vacancy rate was running 18.1% at year end and direct vacancy rates were 14.9%, both above the County average.  

Development above the new Fairfax Metro stations: Should preparation begin now? Washington Post, May 14, 2013

By Tom Jackman

The idea of developers building large buildings on top of the new Silver Line Metro stations along the Dulles Toll Road  – glassy condos, high-rent offices, rotating restaurants — would fit most everyone’s desire for smart growth near mass transit and maybe produce revenue that could be used to keep the tolls down that are being used to finance the Silver Line.

But should the planning for the “air rights” over the stations, and building  the foundations of such projects, begin now, as plans are being made to start building the Phase 2 stations near Reston Town Center, Herndon and  Innovation Center near Route 28? Some say yes, including Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield), who is urging his colleagues to seriously study the idea, former Fairfax board chair and Congressman Tom Davis, and Leo Schefer, president of the Washington Airports Task Force.

Others say no, . . . .

Click here for the rest of this story.   

Air rights over the Dulles Corridor will not only provide added development opportunities, but are the only way to solve the limited access across the corridor for Restonians and relieve congestion.